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List Price: $499.99
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My affair with sewing started back in my youth, but like most affairs, ran hot-and-cold. Mostly cold. I cut my sewing teeth on my mom's old Montgomery Ward from the early '70s, and stopped sewing as soon as I left her house. Fast forward to the adoption of the first machine I'd owned, a late 1940s National Brand machine I got on trade.
Using creaky, temperamental machines with that warm oil smell, ear piercing screech, and a dozen or so stitches accessed by rotary wheel is all I know. Or, at least, used to know. I purchased the Singer ONE 2-3 months ago, after much internal debate and reading hundreds of reviews on different models.
I had no idea sewing was supposed to be so easy, so fun, and so rewarding. This machine is ready-to-use, right out of the box. It is not the most advanced computerized machine, so it the bill to be my first. There are some nonessential "perks" it offers (storage, a variety of feet, flexibility with accommodating various spool sizes, idiot-proof bobbin winding) that pleasantly surprised me.
I am not a master seamstress. I'm struggling to type this review because I don't know enough "sewing vocab" to avoid looking foolish. But this machine makes my work look like I'm far better than I am, and most importantly, it is so user-friendly for beginners than I FEEL good about sewing. Which leads me to use it more. Which makes me better. It's a beautifully vicious cycle.
There are some obvious things that should be noted, that will help you avoid many common problems--and many of these apply to ANY computerized machine:
1. It is a computer, first and foremost. It's not going to run like Mom's old Montgomery Ward, because that was a machine. This is a computer with machine parts attached. It's a different beast. Comparing the two types is like comparing your granddad's work truck to your neighbor's Prius.
2. It's not "flimsy" or "cheap," but it's not going to send vibrations through your table or give you hernia when you move it. It is mostly plastic, with a metal internal frame for stability. It is light, it is stable, and feels nothing like it's elders (or most expensive models). These points ended up in my favor, as those older, heftier, or more expensive types were too intimidating for someone wanting to love sewing, not develop career skills.
3. It is a computer. Computers are sensitive to being dropped, getting wet, being exposed to (or building up) heat, and to power surges. Logic must prevail; I want to ask if the people who experienced power failure with this machine had it plugged in to a surge protector. If not, that's a more likely culprit than it not being a quality machine.
4. I have made a few mistakes resulting in mystery error codes on the LED screen--the manual is only marginally helpful. The Internet, however, is a gold mine. Each and every error has been my part (not lowering the foot, trying to sew something that is too thick, not properly doing something... On my "old" machine, I wouldn't have gotten a mysterious screeching beep and flashing red light, and could have kept sewing until I realized my error. This one "locks up" as people say because the computer is designed to not let you tear the machine (or your project) up. If you don't like being corrected when you're wrong, this isn't the machine for you.
5. I did not test drive a bunch of machines before purchasing. I did look at a few hundred pictures and agonized over reviews from professionals and amatures/hobbyists. And among the people "like me," this was the best machine for me. The decorative stitches are beautiful and plentiful, but not abundantly overwhelming. It is easy for me to adjust the length of stitches. The computer tells me when the stitch I have selected needs a different foot.
The bottom line is with this computerized model, I CAN SEW what I want to sew, and learn. I did not have to learn everything first in order to use it. As for its durability, it has helped me make well over 30 thick, plump, thirsty cloth diapers and a handful of crib sheets. It also allowed me to recover a glider chair with some beautiful heavy upholstery fabric I was previously afraid to cut for fear of "screwing it up." Any machine that can give me confidence and perform consistently and reliably is a 5 star item for me.
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